Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
City Council

Council and Advocates Unite Behind 25 MPH Limit to Pass Bill in Albany

In an effort to pass a bill in the state legislature this session to reduce the city's default speed limit, the City Council and street safety advocates are uniting behind the de Blasio administration's call for a 25 mph limit. In a unanimous 9-0 vote this morning, the City Council Transportation Committee passed a resolution supporting a 25 mph limit. It is expected to pass at the City Council's stated meeting this afternoon.

Rodriguez at this morning's committee vote in favor of supporting a 25 mph speed limit. Image: NYC Council
Rodriguez at this morning's committee vote in favor of supporting a 25 mph speed limit. Image: NYC Council
Rodriguez at this morning's committee vote in favor of supporting a 25 mph speed limit. Image: NYC Council

Advocates, led by the families of traffic violence victims, had been supporting bills in Albany to lower the limit to 20 mph. "My decision to change my stance from a 20 to 25 mph speed limit was not taken lightly," Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez said at this morning's hearing. "In order for meaningful action to be taken, we must unite as a city."

“The political will is not there as it would be if we were arguing with a unified voice," Rodriguez spokesperson Russell Murphy said before the vote. The focus, he said, is on ensuring that a bill “gets passed this session instead of getting put off any further." Murphy said that the 20 mph bills from Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell and State Senator Martin Malave Dilan would be amended to reflect the new consensus behind 25 mph.

Advocates aren't giving up on securing 20 mph speed limits for some streets. "There will be strong 20 mph options in the 25 mph bill, I understand," Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White said in an email. TA staff added that the bills could allow the city to lower speed limits to 20 mph without additional traffic calming measures, in much the same way current law allows 25 mph speed limits like those in the arterial slow zone program.

Streetsblog has reached out to O'Donnell and Dilan for more information about amendments to their bills and will have more on this story as it develops.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts